Even with four wins to round out the regular season of the North Central Alberta Baseball League, it was not enough to fight back and earn a spot in the playoffs.

“It was pretty disappointing, we’re pretty used to making playoffs,” said Steve Cote, the team’s manager. “It just felt like nothing ever went our way this season and we never really played up to our potential. The guys started getting frustrated and it showed on the diamond.”

The NCABL takes only the top four out of eight teams. Out of 21 games the Mets played they were 11 and 10. This was one win away from pushing the Westlock Red Lions out of the fourth and bottom playoff spot. Cote attributed a few factors to the team’s challenging season.

“Lots of guys are used to practicing more and having more swings throughout the season,” he said. “Most of the guys were saying their downfall was not enough practice time, but it’s tougher now that we’re getting a little older as a group to get together and practice as much as some of the other teams.”

Cote also said much of the team was new this year and it will take time for play styles to mesh enough for the team to reach its full potential. This also led to some frustration on the bench.

“We’re definitely a team that plays, when everybody’s up then everybody’s fired up, but when everybody’s down we can’t catch a break, a very emotional team,” he said.

Cote said he believes a major key for next year is to get more players out. The team seemed to always be shorthanded and Cote said this meant when players were having off games he had no one to substitute them with.

The team’s defence is what carried them through, said Cote. With Lee Worobec on the mound, he pitched a total of 44 innings, facing 183 batters and 40 strikeouts. Second baseman Andrew Slinko was also a defensive MVP.

“He was also a leader in our offence, but he slacked off towards the end.”

Slinko had 34 at-bats, 11 hits, seven runs and 10 runs batted in. Cote said the team’s offensive weapon was Darren Adams who had 30 AB, 13 hits, six runs and six RBI. Even with the talent though, it was not enough.

“Even though our talent is there, we probably had the second most talented team in the league, but we just didn’t play to our talent all together,” Cote said.

Cote has been with the team for 13 years and is the last remaining player from the original roster. He said this is only the second time where he has not made the playoffs and some members of the team had even better records.

“They weren’t very happy with not making playoffs, some of the guys have never not made playoffs in their careers.”

Cote will be stepping back from managing the team next year to focus more time on his two little girls and focusing on playing. The team finished sixth overall ahead of the Edmonton Athletics and Parkland Twins. Just ahead of them in fifth were the St. Albert Cardinals. This year’s NCABL playoffs will include the Sherwood Park Athletics, Edmonton Blackhawks, Edmonton Primeaus and the Westlock Red Lions.